Wednesday, 9 May 2018

Operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission have arrested three fake crude oil sellers for allegedly defrauding a Ghanaian of the sum of N20 million.

Fake oil suppliers

The suspects: Otuma Firstborn, Stephen Okonkwo and Aniekan Udoh, were arrested in Port Harcourt, Rivers State after successfully fleecing their victim, Solomon Lamptey of the huge sum of money.

According to a statement by the EFCC’s Spokesman, Wilson Uwujaren, trouble came for the suspects when the victim, Lamptey, a Ghanaian, petitioned the anti-graft agency and accused them of presenting themselves as genuine crude oil sellers from the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, when it was discovered that they were mere impostors.

Lamptey allegedly came to Nigeria in November 2017 seeking authentic suppliers of crude oil.

In his quest, he met Firstborn,who demanded and collected an initial sum of $1,800 and an additional sum of N500,000.00 for “Notice of Readiness for two vessels”: MT Skamandras and MT Toledo Spirit. The vessels were to deliver the crude oil to Lamptey in Ghana.

Aside the initial money Lamptey allegedly made to the suspects, a further payment of $56,000.00 ( N20,000,000.00) was paid to them as ‘logistics’ to move the vessels from Nigeria to Ghana.

Otuma is reported to have acted as a link to Okonkwo, who allegedly used his company, Rextronics Nigeria Limited to collect a sum of N13,000,000.00 out of the money Lamptey paid for the crude oil.

Udoh on the other hand, also took his own share of the money.

Some documents purportedly issued by NNPC were handed over to the petitioner and they include: Notice of Readiness( NOR); Authority to Board Vessel( ATB), Sales Purchase Agreement.

EFCC confirmed that all the documents were forged all in a bid to deceive the Ghanaian oil buyer.

Wilson said, “The suspects are in the custody of the EFCC and will soon be charged to court.